via Food and Water Watch…

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a rule that would let factory farms get out of reporting their releases of ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and other toxic air pollutants caused by the breakdown of animal manure in massive lagoons. We have a right to know what toxic chemicals we’re being exposed to.  Make Factory Farms report their pollution to EPA.

Not surprisingly, this is something agribusiness has been pressuring the government to do le poker a télécharger gratuitementjeu de poker gratuites francaistournoi poker internetjeu carte pokerlogiciel texas holdemjouer au poker virtuelle jeu poker gratuites françaispoker gratuites sans inscriptionjouer wam pokeronline poker oddspoker online flashjeux poker a telechargerpoker hold hem gratuitesjeux comjeux poker onlinepoker avec argent virtuella règle poker texas holdemjouer au poker texas holdempoker en ligne bonusbest online poker,achat poker chips online,poker onlinetexas holdem rulesmultiplayer poker gamecaribbean poker portaljuegos poker sharewaredescargar juego poker gratispoly poquerpoker en linea gratistorneo poker gratispoker portal webcaribbean poker pagina webbajar juego pokerpai gow poker internetjuegos de polly pokerjugar poker,jugar a poker,aprender a jugar pokerreglas de poquerencuentros pokerjuegos cartas pokerjuego cartasjuego de poker en españolpoquer com esdescargas de juegos de pokerpoker texas holdem,jugar poker texas holdem,poker texas holdem gratisdescargar gratis juego de pokerplay 7 card studpai gow poker portales internetreglamentos pokerjuego al instante portal internetpoker texas holdem online,texas holdem estrategia,texas holdempoker caribe portal5 card stud for years.  Instead of getting into the fine print of the proposal, here’s a description from a recent Washington Post article that sums it up pretty well:
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via the Horticultural Society NYC...

Environmental Education Advisory Council of New York City presents

Cool It NYC!
A Panel Discussion: Practical Applications for Reducing the Urban Heat Island Effect

Wednesday, March 26th 6-8pm
The Horticultural Society of New York
http://www.hsny.org
Pamela Ito; Director of Children’s Education
148 W 37th Street, 13th Fl, between 6th & 7thAvenues
By Subway: 1, 2, 3, N, R, W, Q, B, D, F, V to 34th Street
More after the jump…
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Join Just Food for their 8th annual CSA in the City Conference at Columbia University’s Teachers College (located at 525 West 120th St. in Manhattan).

Everyone is welcome, not just CSA members. Though Astoria CSA highly encourages our members to attend, learn more and report back to the community!

It’s a fantastic way to get more involved with CSAs, find out how to start one, or just learn more about food and policy issues. (If you happen by the Raw Milk Workshop: The Real Deal on Raw Milk, say hello to me, Stacey! I’ll be speaking and leading the Q&A.)

Many of our own farmers will be present for the farmer panel, including Nancy and Alan Brown of Lewis Waite (our meat and dairy providers) and Matt Kurek, one of our vegetable farmers. (Matt is unsure of his attendance just yet– it is either the conference or find someone to attend a tractor auction in his place.)

Make your voice heard to make CSAs better for everyone! Join us! (More after the jump) Read the rest of this entry »

From the Organic Consumer’s website:
Carcinogenic 1,4-Dioxane Found in Leading “Organic” Brand Personal Care Products
USDA Certified Products Test Dioxane-Free

ANAHEIM, CA - A newly released study commissioned by the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), a watchdog group with over 500,000 members, and overseen by environmental health consumer advocate David Steinman (author of The Safe Shopper’s Bible), analyzes leading “natural” and “organic” brand shampoos, body washes, lotions and other personal care products for the presence of the undisclosed carcinogenic contaminant 1,4-Dioxane. A reputable third-party laboratory known for rigorous testing and chain-of-custody protocols, performed all testing.

Some of the Leading Brands Found to Contain 1,4-Dioxane:
JASON Pure Natural & Organic
Giovanni Organic Cosmetics
Kiss My Face
Nature’s Gate Organics

Read the full story by following this link.

This is a very interesting Op-Ed from the Times, by a mid-western farmer who came up against the commodity policies that continue to make it difficult for small local vegetable farmers to expand to meet local demands. Another perspective on the many effects the Farm Bill has on our landscape and the food available to us.

An excerpt from the piece My Forbidden Fruits (and Vegetables) By, Jack Hedin, Published March 1, 2008:

If you’ve stood in line at a farmers’ market recently, you know that the local food movement is thriving, to the point that small farmers are having a tough time keeping up with the demand.

But consumers who would like to be able to buy local fruits and vegetables not just at farmers’ markets, but also in the produce aisle of their supermarket, will be dismayed to learn that the federal government works deliberately and forcefully to prevent the local food movement from expanding. And the barriers that the United States Department of Agriculture has put in place will be extended when the farm bill that House and Senate negotiators are working on now goes into effect.

To read the complete Op-Ed on the NYTimes, click here.